In his speech last Friday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised not to leave anyone in Germany alone with the enormous energy prices. Now the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ) is reporting on a five-point plan by his party, the SPD. This concept therefore provides for short-term relief for tenants, but also for landlords.
A central suggestion: For the time being, it should no longer be possible to terminate the tenancy of apartments if tenants cannot make their advance payments for the operating costs. This should also apply to additional payments – for six months from the settlement. The regulation is to come into force for the 2021 and 2022 accounting periods.
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But landlords who would initially be stuck with possible costs should also be helped under the appropriate circumstances. If the ban on terminations leads to “unreasonable hardship” for landlords, they should be granted an interest-free bridging loan, the SZ quotes from the key issues paper.
Should landlords have to pay off a loan, the corresponding claims should be deferred. The SPD names “small landlords” as a target group. Private individuals who depend on rental income for their old-age provision in particular are to be addressed, reports the SZ.
Meanwhile, after the Chancellor’s announcement, the pressure on the traffic light coalition is growing. In the opinion of the Paritätisches Gesamtverband, the federal government should take care of the relief for the affected citizens more quickly in view of the sharp rise in electricity and gas prices and higher living costs.
